window of opportunity
by shel
Summary: sometimes a split second is all the window of opportunity allows you to make a choice but sometimes a split second's all you need...
1. part 1

**CHARMED**

**"Window of Opportunity"**

by shel

©september 2005

_disclaimer:the charmed ones, cole, and leo, and the rest of the cast of characters we've come to know and love, belong to spelling television, inc. and possible other copyright holders. i intended no true infringement on their copyrights; i only wanted to borrow these marvelous characters for a short time in my own scenarios and hopefully return them no worse for wear; the only things i've gained from this story are the satisfaction and pleasure of having written it and in knowing that others may have enjoyed it too…_

_rating:pg-13_

_summary:sometimes a split second is all the window of opportunity allows you to make a choice but sometimes a split second's all you need…_

_timeline:six weeks following the end of season 7's, 'something wicca this way goes'…_

_archive:please don't without expressed permission…_

_notes:please let me know if you enjoyed my tale and why and, if not, why not…and, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames…_

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_**Part One**_

"Hey, sport, stay where I can see you!" Darryl Morris shouted to his son from the family's picnic blanket.

"He's fine, honey," his wife assured him as she strolled over to the blanket, "which's more than I can say for others in the park today."

"What's that mean?" he asked as she sat down to snuggle next to him.

She kissed him before replying, "There was a young woman sitting on the bench over there near the trash bin and she seemed pretty upset so I asked her wha--"

"Baby, you know I don't like you talking to strangers," he interrupted with concern.

"Number one, I am an adult. Number two, it's the middle of the day, and number three, nothing happened." But he didn't seem reassured and she lowered her voice, "I know your relationship with the Halliwells brought you into all sorts of unbelievable danger but they're gone now. You're not a target anymore and not every crying woman is some demon in disguise."

"You're right," he acknowledged unconvincingly. "I know you're right but there are things…there are things in this world that exist and we don't…"

"I know there's evil still out there," she hugged him. "And I know you miss the sisters."

"I still can't believe they're gone. I keep expecting them to call up and…" His voice trailed away as he realized he'd meant that literally. He'd never told Sheila that he thought he'd spotted one of the sisters right after the explosion in the manor. But the more he thought about the girl with long strawberry blond hair, the more he thought he'd imagined her wink to him. In the six weeks since, none of the sisters had contacted him in any manner and he was beginning to lose hope that they'd somehow survived. His wife's voice interrupted his thoughts and he focused on her again as he pulled back.

"I'm so sorry they're gone," she sympathized, brushing his cheek with her hand, "but I've gotta be honest, Darryl, I'm so relieved that I don't have to worry about you anymore."

"I'm still a cop, Sheila," he reminded her.

"You know what I mean," she frowned. "Look," she sighed, "it's still the perfect summer day so can we drop this for now? No more talk about demons and evil lurking in the park, please?"

"I love you and nothing's more important to me than you and our family," he stated in a tone more serious than he needed. He gazed at her a moment longer before he finally asked, "So where's this girl who was so upset?"

"I didn't mean you had to go over to her," she quickly answered. "I kind of got the impression I scared her and that she wanted to be alone."

"Tell you what," he offered as he got to his feet, "you call the soccer ace in for dessert and I'll see what I can do for this girl."

"Don't you want any dessert?" she worried.

"I'll be right back and there'd better be some apple pie left or there'll be some serious tickle torture later," he teased in a warning tone.

Sheila giggled, "Hmmm, I'll see what I can do…"

Darryl bent down to give her a peck on the lips and assured her, "Be right back."

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It didn't take him long to spot her. She was sitting near the trash bins just like Sheila had said. Her long hair was loose and, from the way she was hunched over sitting on the bench, hid her face. From the crumpled tissue he spotted clenched in her fist, he was sure she'd been crying. So if Sheila had also been right about her wanting to be alone, why was she still sitting in the public park? He approached slowly, "Everything okay?"

Startled, she nearly fell off the bench. "I'm okay," she automatically said even though her heart was pounding from the thought that she'd been distracted and someone had so easily sneaked up on her.

Darryl noted the red-rimmed blue eyes and the slightly swollen pink nose against her pale skin and worried more when she gasped in surprise after meeting his gaze. "You don't seem okay. I'm a cop, are you hurt? Is there anything I can do?"

She slid to the side of the bench in an effort to avoid him and get up, "I'm fine, just fine. Go back to your wife, I'll be okay."

Taken aback, it took him a moment to register her face with the one from his memory but that was enough time for her to have already sprinted away from him. "Wait!"

Annoyed with herself for her slip regarding Sheila, she put in some more effort to run from him but he easily caught up to her and grabbed her swinging hand. "Let go, please…"

"Phoebe? Piper?" he demanded. "Which sister are you?"

Already emotionally drained, she didn't have the energy to break free from his strong grip. "They're dead, Darryl, leave them to rest in peace."

His grip unintentionally grew even stronger as he repeated his demand, "Which one?"

She finally looked him in the eyes and stated, "My name is Lisa and I'm the middle of three sisters. Now please let me go."

He had been right but he still couldn't believe it. Phoebe was standing right there in front of him, living and breathing. He immediately dropped his hand, "Lisa? But why, Pho--"

"No," she interrupted sharply, "my name is Lisa!" But she softened her tone, "Your friend no longer exists, Darryl, and I'm just a stranger minding my own business hoping no one's watching or listening."

He realized she meant either the Elders or demons so he nodded to her and conveyed his understanding. But, at the same time, he didn't understand. "I thought I saw you that day but you never contacted me. Why? Are you okay? Where have you been?"

"It doesn't matter. The past is dead," she explained, "and there's a whole bright new future waiting for us."

"I can't believe how different you look," he involuntarily chuckled, "talk about an extreme makeover. Can you sit with me for a minute? I've got a million questions."

"I shouldn't," she shook her head. "It wouldn't be good for either of us. I'm sorry for the loss of your friends but we all need to let go of the past."

He indicated to the bench she'd fled from, "Didn't look like you were doing too good a job of it back there. Something's upset you. I'd like to help if I can."

She was quiet for a moment, "Let's just say, I've had a harder time adjusting to my bright new future than the rest of my family." She glanced at her watch, "Look at the time, I'm late…I'm meeting my older sister for lunch and she gets annoyed when I run late for no apparent reason."

"Nice to know some things don't change," he quipped, hoping to see her lighten up a bit. But if anything, she seemed even sadder, so he offered, "Isn't there anything I can do for you?"

She shook her head, "But thank you for asking…I'd better go."

"Why Lisa?" he suddenly asked.

She nearly smiled, "I had this friend, maybe the one you're thinking of, who had a name that people were always misspelling or mispronouncing so I was pretty grateful to have a short ordinary name."

He might have been amused had she not begun walking away. "Wait, I'll walk with you."

She stopped in her tracks and worried, "I really don't think that'd be a good idea."

"What's the harm in "meeting" your sister?"

"Your wife will wonder what happened to you," she suggested. "Sheila's waiting, go back to her." She began to turn away from him but paused, "I know you were caught in the middle often enough so if you…if you need to tell her the truth, I…well I trust you. Goodbye, Darryl."

Saddened by the finality of her tone, he took the opportunity and admitted, "I've missed yo-- my friends, my family. Y'know, in spite of all the insanity, I wouldn't change a thing."

Tears stung her eyes, "If she was alive, I'm sure your friend would say that she misses you too. I'm sure she wishes that she could call you up just to talk, hang out, and not just request an inconvenient favor. I'm sure she wishes she could tell you how grateful she is that you were such a strong source of encouragement, such a true friend, and that she loves you. And I'm sure she wishes she could apologize for always putting you in the awkward spot, for never seeming to trust you when she actually did, for nev--"

"I'm sure he'd understand," he quickly interrupted. "I mean, I do, I understand. I know what my friend was fighting for and I believed in her, in them, still do, in fact. And I know how much she sacrificed to keep doing a thankless job that had to be done in secret. I hope she knows that I was proud to help her whenever I could. And I can only hope she understands why, in the end, I sometimes had to refuse."

Overwhelmed by his forgiveness, her voice cracked as she responded, "I'm sure she does." She wanted so desperately to add more and to hug him but feared any watching eyes. So instead, she requested as she turned away, "Take care of yourself and your family. Be safe…"

"Ph-- Lisa, wait!" He quickly fished out from his wallet one of his contact cards and hastily wrote on the back, "Take this. My new cell number's on it. Just in case you ever, I mean ever, need me…"

Her fingertips brushed against his hand as he gave her the card and she snapped her gaze towards his. "Thank you," she whispered, "for everything…"

"Tell your sister, sisters, I…"

"I will," she smiled sadly before giving into her impulses and kissing him quickly on the cheek. "Goodbye, Darryl…"

With a heavy heart, he let her go but he still stood in that spot and watched long after she rushed out of the park. In barely a whisper, he uttered, "Goodbye, Phoebe…"

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	2. part 2

_**Part Two**_

Phoebe sat on the grass, hugging her knees, and watched the sunset. Although the park was still crowded, this favorite spot of hers was in a more secluded area near a shady cluster of trees. She should've spent the late afternoon shopping with Piper but meeting Darryl had really thrown her. By the time she'd been more than half-way to meeting Piper, she changed her mind and rushed back to the security of this spot with its serene view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

"Phoebe?"

As always, her heart skipped a beat at hearing his voice and, when she turned and saw him standing beside her, she calmly questioned her ex-husband, "Do I know you, sir?"

"I'm not sure," he narrowed his gaze down on her, "do you?"

"Whoa, heavy answer," she commented in surprise. "I know it's been that kind of day but I thought you might be in a bit more of a playful mood especially when you're wearing that black dress shirt with the open collar you know I love."

He automatically looked down at his outfit but, just as quickly, snapped, "I'm not here to model clothing for you."

Phoebe ogled him appreciatively, "That's too bad, 'cuz I remember you lookin' mighty fine in quite a number of outfits." But her grin faded quickly, "God, what a day…" She realized he was still glaring at her and she warned, "I said I've had that kind of a day and I really don't want to argue with you so either play along or disappear."

"What are you talking about?" he frowned. "Look, what's wrong? What are you doing here?"

She rolled her eyes and waved her hand around her, "What's it look like? I'm sitting here watching the sunset, enjoying the peace, which, I might add, you are on the verge of ruining for me."

"This isn't you," his frown deepened.

"Isn't it?" she countered. "I've always loved quiet moments like this, taking in God's beauty."

"Phoebe…"

"Cole…" she smirked.

"Dammit, Phoebe, this is serious!"

"Phoebe is dead!" she angrily blurted. And, as if realizing the implication of what she'd just said, she repeated in a sadder tone, "She's dead…"

"No she's not!" he argued. "You think you've buried her but she's still here."

She shook her head, her 'new' long hair spilling out around her face, and she quietly told herself, "She's died so many times I've lost count…"

"Go back, Phoebe," he instructed.

"I'm fine where I am, thank you very much. What," she challenged, "you think I can't take care of myself in the park after dark without using magic?"

"I know you're perfectly capable," Cole declared. "But you also can't deprive yourself of the magic. It's always with you. It's who you are."

"Who I was," she corrected.

He repeated his earlier question, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she quickly replied, "everything…I don't know," she sighed. "I'm tired, so tired of it all…I wish things were different…I wish I could turn back time…"

"So you wouldn't have found the Ouija board and discovered your powers?"

"So I wouldn't've fallen in love with you…" Phoebe whispered.

It was a moment before he quietly wondered, "Do you really mean that?"

"Everything would've been so different…" she continued as if she hadn't heard him. "I might not be sitting here now in some strange body with a total lack of direction in my life."

"You've lacked direction before…"

"Not like this," she maintained in a tired voice. "If we'd never've gotten together, I might've been happy…"

"You might have been dead!" Cole barked. "Did I…did I hurt you so badly that you can never be happy again?"

"No," she admitted with a sigh. "I was happy. I found love again. It wasn't anywhere near the same what we had but it was real. But love, it doesn't stay, not for me…" She looked up at him and added, "I'm tired of sacrificing myself. I'm tired of starting over. I'm tired of hoping…"

"Hoping for what?" When she didn't respond, he inquired, "What about your sisters? Why don't they know how unhappy you are?"

Phoebe shrugged, "Piper's happy. She's enjoying her new normal life and deserves her peace. I won't complicate it for her by wishing I could go back to my old unstable, unreliable one…"

"What about Paige? I can't believe she hasn't sensed anything wrong."

She nearly smiled thinking of her enthusiastic younger sister, "Running the school was so good for her that she's decided to go back to school for a degree in teaching." She sighed again, "We're really lucky that Leo and Dad were able to help us get false ID and transcripts or none of us would be able to move on."

"So why haven't you?"

"I'm taking a break," she explained, though it came out more as a question than a statement of fact. "Things were so crazy in the end with Zankou and I suppose I could still go for that advanced psych degree but now…I don't know, what's the point? I don't have my advice column anymore, or the radio spots or interviews."

"So what have you been doing?"

"I come here a lot," she admitted, wishing she didn't sound quite so embarrassed about it. "I spend a lot of time thinking…remembering…that's why you're here."

"It is?" he asked with surprise.

"Of course," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Cole, you always come to me when I'm lost. But, I guess depending on my mood at the time, you either remind me of why I hate everything about us and you somehow manage to convince me to react strongly and with purpose about whatever's bothering me or else you…"

"Or I what?" he prompted when she stopped speaking.

"It doesn't matter," she shook her head. "Look, this's just one of my down moments but you can disappear now. Go back to the rest of my memories. I've seen you, talked to you. I'll be okay now."

"You're not okay and I'm not a memory, Phoebe," he softly insisted.

"You're right, you're more than a memory, you're a part of my imagination," she smiled sadly. "See, Cole, today's your luck day. Today you're wonderful and sweet instead of someone I wish I'd never met."

He gazed at her with haunted eyes, "I'm so sorry for what I put you through, for what I keep putting you through."

As always when she imagined him, he said what she wanted and needed to hear. But for the first time in a long time, she confessed aloud, "Seems you never hear me apologize so I'm sorry, Cole. I'm sorry for hurting you and for letting you down. I'm sorry I wished we'd never met." She tried smiling for him, "We'll talk more next time but you really should be going now. Imagination time's over and it's back to the real world for me now."

"Honey, you're not listening to me. I'm not a memory or a figment of your imagination. I'm real. And you have to go back," he urged.

She smiled to herself at his use of that term of affection. Maybe it would prompt her now to recall other times he used it, happy times. She turned back to gaze at the sunset and decided, "I think I'll stay for a while…"

"You can't!"

"Sure I can," she sighed, "it's quiet and peaceful and I'm feeling melancholy and want to stay."

"Go back to your sisters," he pleaded as he quickly knelt next to her.

"In a while…" Why did her voice sound so far away?

"There's no while for you, Phoebe," he stated. "You have to go. Now."

He sounded so desperate and she turned her head to look at him. "All right, Cole, what's going on? What're you so worried about? What're you trying to get me to remember?"

He took a chance and put his hands on her shoulders. Ignoring her shocked expression, he requested, "Look around you, Phoebe, this isn't real."

Confused on so many levels, she argued, "Of course it's real. I don't understand. How are you touching me? And what d-- Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

She looked around and told him, "I hear Piper." Phoebe scrambled to her feet and continued scanning the area, "She's calling me but she sounds so far away…" She took a few steps back, "I thought she said she was going home since I didn't meet her. What's she doing here?"

"Answer her, Phoebe," he anxiously instructed as he stood. "Tell her you hear her."

Something was definitely off and she turned back to face him, "Cole, what's going on?"

"Baby, please, if you ever loved me, go back to Piper now before it's too late…"

"Too late for what?" she wondered. "Cole, where --" She didn't get any other words out as the park scenery shifted and spun. Dizzy, she squeezed her eyes shut and blindly reached out as she lost her balance.

"I'm here," he assured as she latched on to his shirt and he anchored her by her elbows.

"What's wrong with me?" she murmured as he steadied her and the world stopped spinning. She slowly opened her eyes and was stunned to see that she and Cole were standing in broad daylight in the middle of an intersection. On the sidewalk opposite them, a car was smashed into a mailbox, the driver slumped against the inflated airbag. On the ground, a young woman knelt crying over a body.

Phoebe tried to move forward but Cole held her back. And that's when she recognized the young woman. "Piper?" she gasped. She struggled against Cole's arms but he was blocking her view. "Let me go, Cole. What's going on? Piper, what happened? Are you okay?"

It wasn't until that moment that she realized that neither Piper nor anyone on the street could see or hear them. "Cole," she fearfully began, "what's going on?" But before he could answer, she recognized the bottom of the skirt on the body that Piper was now cradling and she instinctively backed up right into him, "Ohmigod, ohmigod, Cole, that's…that's…that's me! Cole, what's going on?"

He immediately pulled his trembling ex-wife into his arms, something he'd longed to do from the instant he'd found her. He spoke in a soothing tone, "Easy, Phoebe, you're safe. You're with me. "

"What? But that's not possible. You're…you're…gone…that alternate reality…this isn't…no…" she stammered in disbelief despite the fact that his arms felt so real encircled around her.

"It's limbo," he informed her, "where Piper was not too long ago. It's where you don't belong. It's why you have to go back."

"Limbo? But I, I can't be dying, I don't remem-- Ohmigod, the little girl," she suddenly panicked, "the car was…the little girl…Cole, there was a little girl. Where's the little girl?"

Cole pointed to the sidewalk where a young man sat comforting a girl who appeared to be about four or five years old. "She's safe, Phoebe, you saved her."

"I changed my mind," Phoebe recalled in a shaky voice, "I didn't want to meet Piper. I wanted to go back to the park. The little girl, she didn't see the car. It was coming so fast, through the red light, it was going right for the sidewalk, she…she didn't see it coming."

Cole kissed the top of her head, "You may not consider yourself a Charmed One anymore but you're still a witch and you still protect the innocents."

"She's a little girl…Anyone would've done the same," she whispered. "I didn't need magic."

"Didn't you? It was your power of levitation that helped you push her out of the way in time," he explained.

"But I can't levitate anymore," she told him.

"I told you before, the magic is still a part of you. It always has been." She was shaking her head and he insisted, "That little girl would be dead if not for you. Don't you see, you're needed here. You still have so much to give, so much love…" He indicated to Piper who was desperately encouraging her sister to hold on, "Listen to Piper. Go back and live your life and be happy, Phoebe. Be the strong woman I remember and love. Find her again and be happy…" He gently twisted her around in his arms and kissed her tenderly on the lips, "And I do love you, Phoebe. I always have and I always will."

"Cole, I --"

But he didn't want to risk hearing her claim she no longer felt the same so he interrupted her by abruptly releasing her from his arms and requesting one last time as he stepped back, "Be happy."

"Cole, wait, I want y--" But somehow he'd already progressed far enough away from her and she found herself torn from watching him with gazing at Piper who was begging her to stay. And Phoebe realized that her window of opportunity was slipping away. "Be happy?" she asked herself as she looked down at the surreal scene of Piper holding her body. She knelt and whispered in Piper's ear, "I love you, Piper." And then she called out to Cole who immediately turned back to her, "I'll be happy, I promise!"

From the distance, Cole watched wistfully as Phoebe's spirit merged with her body and gasped for breath in Piper's arms. Satisfied, he turned away and began to fade from the scene when he suddenly heard her call his name. But she'd been so badly hurt, she couldn't have had the strength to call him like that. "Phoebe?" But her voice sounded even more clear and strong the second time he heard his name and he spun back to the scene, "No! Phoebe, what're you doing?"

She smiled patiently as she stood beside Piper who still cradled her own body, "I'm doing what you wanted."

"No," he argued as he unconsciously backed away several steps, "not this. Not like this. You need to live."

"I need to be happy," she declared, "and this will make me happy."

"Please, Phoebe," he begged as he began rushing to her, "you don't have any time left. Go back. You have a destiny to fulfill. You have a little girl of your own waiting to be born."

Not questioning his knowledge, she sadly commented, "Not every premonition is meant to come true. And it's past time that I made peace with it. As for my destiny, I think I've fulfilled that several times over."

"You don't belong here." Cole worried that he didn't sound as convincing as he needed to be because a part of him was already screaming for her to stay.

"Here," she reached out to him, "is exactly where I belong. I told you I found peace here and that was before I knew I was in this limbo." But when he remained at a distance, she dropped her arms to her sides, scanned the intersection, and still said, "The Zen Master said this was a peaceful place and he was right." She gazed directly at him, "I've found my purpose, Cole. It's here, in this limbo, with you." When he didn't speak, she nervously added, "If you'll have me that is…"

He watched Piper and knew Phoebe only had seconds left to make her choice. "There's no turning back. Please, Phoebe, think of your sisters."

She focused on Piper and smiled sadly as she promised, "I'll see them again. The Elders don't rule here."

"But there are other rules," he warned. Maybe this was the way to change her mind. "Things are different here. There's a job that needs to be done and it isn't always pretty or end happily."

"It doesn't matter," she shook her head, wishing she could comfort Piper. "You'll teach me what I need to learn. I'm a quick study, sometimes anyway. But I'm not changing my mind, Cole. Not this time. And I will find a way to see my sisters and explain…So," she turned back to him, "will you have me stay at your side?"

"It's not a temporary gig," he quietly informed her, unsure if he was truly happy or not with her decision.

"For as long as you're here," she clarified, "for eternity even."

Cole didn't speak but, after a moment's hesitation, finally held out his hand to her.

Without a second thought, Phoebe grabbed it and squeezed it tight.

And then his worried frown finally turned into a genuinely happy smile.

She smiled radiantly at him in return before she giddily leaped up into his arms as they faded from the street.

And in the midst of her grief while cradling her sister's bloody and broken body, Piper could have sworn she heard Phoebe's whispered voice, "I love you, Cole…"

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	3. epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

The crowd had long since dispersed and Darryl Morris stood in front of the open grave and dropped a yellow rose onto the casket. "Oh, Phoebe…"

"She's at peace, Darryl, she's happy."

Startled, he spun around, "Paige? What're you --"

"In the flesh," she quipped without humor. "Guess I have Phoebe to thank for that."

"Why didn't you go back to the house?"

She shrugged and indicated to Piper who stood a few rows back, "We weren't ready to leave yet. This's so…so final."

"I don't understand." He shook his head with emphasis, "I don't understand any of this. I just saw her, right before this happened. If only I'd gone with her like I'd wanted…"

"Don't," Paige placed her hand on his arm, "don't get caught up in all the what-ifs. It happened and there's nothing we can do to change it."

"She's right," Piper added in a hoarse voice as she finally joined them. "Phoebe's gone but she died saving a little girl. She died helping an innocent and I don't think she'd've wanted it any other way."

"How are you?" he inquired. "Sorry, of course I know how you are. I don't know why I keep asking you that."

"It's okay," Paige acknowledged. "It's been a couple of crazy days."

Knowing it was completely inappropriate, he still couldn't help but ask, "Is it strange to be you again? I mean for almost seven weeks you've been living completely different lives and when I saw Phoebe that day as Lisa……She told me you'd both adjusted pretty well."

"Which she hadn't," Piper shook her head as she stared at the casket. "She tried to hide it bu--"

"For our sakes," Paige interrupted.

"She knew we were happy with our new lives," Piper reluctantly agreed, "but she never quite adjusted to being Lisa. I was hoping all she needed was some time to come around. I thought if we didn't push and gave her some space…"

After a few moments of contemplative silence, Darryl remarked, "The paper said something about witness protection. A bit convoluted, don't you think?"

Piper shrugged, "It was the only way to make sense of why we faked our deaths and why Phoebe's accidental death makes the protection no longer necessary."

"And thanks to Kyle's unauthorized help in dealing with the FBI," Paige gratefully added, "we were able to pull it off for both the public and the Elders."

"But now with Phoebe gone," he glanced at the grave, "what about the Power of Three?"

"It's over. No need to hide anymore," Piper tearfully replied as she reached for Paige's hand. "No more Charmed Ones, no more danger."

"I think there'll always be danger," Paige gently reminded her.

"But it won't be the same."

All three spun in surprise at the sound of Phoebe's voice behind them.

"Pheebs?" Piper gasped as Phoebe materialized into a solid form.

"It was a great turnout, wasn't it? I can't believe all the people who came and all the flowers and," she greeted before she excitedly interrupted herself, "Paige, I love that top! It goes great with your ey--Wait a minute, isn't that my top?"

"You don't seem to need it anymore," Paige retorted before choking back a sob, "I'm sorry, I can't believe I d-- I mean I thought it'd help me get through today if I felt y-- I didn't mea--"

"It's okay, Paige," Phoebe chuckled sympathetically, "I understand. But, what's mine is now yours, yours and Piper's. Hmmm, maybe I should come up with a specific list of things that you should div--"

"Phoebe, shut up," Piper chastised, "and give me a hug."

Phoebe eagerly obeyed, "I love you, Piper. I love all of you but I'm where I need to be, where I want to be."

"And where is that exactly?" Paige scoffed. "Dead with Prue and our mother?"

"Um, not exactly…"

Piper stiffened, "Phoebe…why aren't you with them? What did you do?"

"And I don't understand," Darryl spoke up at the same time. "In all this time, you still haven't been able to see Prue so how come they let you come after only four days?"

"Nobody let Phoebe do anything. She made a decision all on her own and went for it, rules be damned."

"Why thank you, sweetie," Phoebe smiled innocently as she looked past Piper's shoulder at the newcomer materializing nearby, "I knew you'd see it my way sooner or later."

"Just as long as it's my way in the end," Cole winked at her as he approached the group.

She wrinkled her nose but still blew him a kiss before pulling away from Piper's embrace. "I love it when we see eye-to-eye," she quipped as she stepped towards him, oblivious of the stunned others.

"You mean you love it when we argue," he wryly noted, stopping in front of her.

"Because you love it when we make up," she countered with a smile as she reached her arms up and around his neck and stood on tiptoes in order to kiss him.

"No more than you," he accused in amusement as his hands firmly placed themselves on her waist, pressing her closer, and he deepened the kiss.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Piper exclaimed, snapping out of her daze. "Phoebe, what's going on? Cole, what're you doing here? You're supposed to be in limbo."

Phoebe sighed contentedly as she brought her fingers to Cole's lips, lightly wiping them, before she turned back to her older sister, "Yeah, Piper, about Cole being in limbo…Was there something you forgot to tell us, something about an 'old friend'?"

But Piper was too frustrated with her baby sister to feel guilty, "Yeah, well, I made a split second decision and it was the right one at the time. You explain this. Now."

"This oughtta be good," Darryl finally reacted. "Cole…" He shook his head, "Man, maybe I was right this morning, this's been nothing but a bad dream."

"Missed you too, buddy," Cole smirked before extending his hand to Darryl who, after a few seconds of staring in surprise at it, clasped it and firmly shook it.

"Are you sure you're really gone?" Paige glared. "It seems you're always popping up when we least expect it."

Cole became more serious when he nodded, "I'm…we're really gone. This isn't a dream."

"I thought I was dreaming that day," Piper murmured as she stared at her ghost of a sister, "but I wasn't. You were there, with him when you, y'know…" She continued as Phoebe nodded, "I thought I heard you, Pheebs, right after you…I thought I heard you tell him you loved him."

"I did…and I do," Phoebe smiled at Cole before she leaned back against him, tugging his arms tighter around her. "I didn't know it at first but I was in limbo and he found me."

"Then you had a choice just like Piper did," Paige realized with annoyance. "Why didn't you choose to live? Didn't you think we needed you?"

"Didn't you know we loved you?" Piper whispered.

Phoebe immediately hugged her older sister again, "Of course I did. And I love you both so much. But, Piper," she pulled back slightly, "I was miserable. It was as if Phoebe Halliwell really had died in that explosion with Zankou."

"But --"

"Piper, I was living a strange life which had no meaning for me," Phoebe interrupted. "How could I figure out how to live as Lisa if I didn't know how to let go of Phoebe?"

"We would've given it up," Paige insisted. "You didn't have to die to make a point."

"That's not what I did and I didn't want you to," Phoebe declared. "You were both so happy and I wanted you to have the peace you deserved."

"But what about you?" Darryl asked. "Was it worth dying for? Have you found the peace you deserved?"

Phoebe glanced at Cole and nodded happily, "I did." She took a step back but held onto Piper's hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I'm happy here. Honest."

"We've had nothing but time to talk about quite a lot," Cole told the others. "There's been a lot to confess, a lot to forgive, and a lot to learn, and there's still so much more ahead for us."

Phoebe nodded with understanding and shared a special smile with him. "And I'm helping people," she added for her sisters, "people who end up in limbo confused about which way to turn. Piper, you had Cole help you realize your truth and now I'm helping others realize theirs."

"Guess I should thank you then," Paige quietly told Cole. "It seems you've saved both my sisters."

He waved away her thanks, "Your sisters saved themselves. All they needed was a little push."

"I'm not so sure about that," Paige quietly considered. "You're really okay now? I mean you're not, y'know…"

"Obsessed? Insane? Suicidal?" Cole shook his head, "No, I'm thinking very clearly, have been since I ended up here, where everything seems to be placed in the proper perspective."

"Good," she nodded before hugging Phoebe and instructing, "you make sure he stays that way."

"Yes, ma'am," Phoebe teased despite spotting Cole roll his eyes. "I love you, Paige."

"I love you, Phoebe," she cried, "and I don't want you to go…"

Piper nearly broke down from Paige's comment and threw her arms around both her younger sisters.

It was Phoebe who pulled away first and gently wiped the tears from her sisters' eyes. "I love you both so much. Tell Dad and Leo…the boys…"

"I'm gonna miss you!" Piper hugged Phoebe again, unable to let her go, not when she still felt so alive.

"This's why we couldn't see Prue," Phoebe realized in a whisper. "I love you, Piper. And I'll miss all of you. But I'll be watching over you. And if you ever need me, I'll be there, I promise." She slowly disentangled herself from Piper, her position immediately taken over by Paige, and she paused by Darryl and hugged him, "Thank you for what you said at the funeral. It was beautiful and I love you for it."

"I meant every word. I love you, Phoebe." His voice kept catching in his throat. This time, it was goodbye. "Thanks for making me part of your family."

She squeezed her arms around him before kissing his cheek and promising, "I'll be watching over you, too." She stepped back into Cole's waiting arms and glanced up at him, "I'm ready now. One more for the road?"

"As if I need an excuse," he responded as her lips were already seeking out his. He lifted her off the ground, barely feeling her arms encircling his neck, and faded from the cemetery.

Piper locked hands with Darryl as Paige hugged her, "Be good, Pheebs."

And, as if a whisper on the wind, they heard Phoebe's faint voice, "Love and be happy…"

_**The End**_


End file.
